Ph.D., Georgetown University, Washington D.C., 1978

Link to CV

UCI Faculty Profile 

Research interests in the clinical/applied area are the development of rapid procedures for the detection of clinically relevant pathogenic bacteria, viruses and fungi with particular interest in sexually transmitted pathogens. In the basic research area, attempts are being made to define the key structural elements of the pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis at the molecular level that are important in eliciting a protective host immunological response and contribute to its virulence. Particular research emphasis has been placed on the major outer membrane protein and components of the type three secretion system.

Selected Papers:

• Sun, G., S. Pal, A.K. Sarcon, S. Kim, E. Sugawara, H. Nikaido, M. Cocco, E.M. Peterson and L.M. de la Maza. Structural and functional analyses of the major outer membrane protein of Chlamydia trachomatis. J. Bacteriol, in press, 2007.
• Slepenkin A., P.-A Enquist., U. Hägglund., L.M. de la Maza, M. Elofsson and E.M. Peterson. Reversal of the Anti-Chlamydial Activity of Putative Type Three Secretion Inhibitors by Iron. Infect. Immun. 75: 3478-3489, 2007.
• Tan, G.L. and E.M. Peterson. CHROMagar™ Candida for the Direct Susceptibility Testing of Yeast from Blood Cultures. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43:1727-1731, 2005.
• The Color Atlas of Bacteriology. L.M. de la Maza, M.P. Pezzlo, J. Shigei, and E.M. Peterson. American Society for Microbiology Press, Washington D.C., 2004.
• Slepenkin, A., L.M. de la Maza, and E.M. Peterson. Interaction between components of the type III secretion system of Chlamydiaceae. J. Bacteriology. 187: 473-479,, 2004.
• Pal, S., E.M. Peterson, and L.M. de la Maza. New model for the study of Chlamydia trachomatis genitourinary tract infections in males. Infect. Immuno. 72: 4210-4216, 2004.
• Slepenkin, A., V. Motin, L.M. de la Maza, and E.M. Peterson. Temporal expression of type III secretion genes of Chlamydia pneumoniae. Infect. Immun. 71: 2555-2562, 2003.
• Tapia, O., A. Slepenkin, E. Sevrioukov, K. Hamor, L.M. de la Maza, and E.M. Peterson. Evaluation of the inclusion fluorescent antibody test as a screening assay for the detection of antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae. Clinical and Diagnostic Immunology 9: 562-567, 2002.
• Pal, S., H.L. Davis, E.M. Peterson, and L.M. de la Maza. Immunization with the Chlamydia trachomatis mouse pneumonitis major outer membrane protein by use of CpG oligonucleotides as adjuvant induces a protective immune response against an intranasal challenge. Infect. Immun., 70: 4812-4817, 2002.
• de la Maza, L.M. and E.M. Peterson. Vaccines for Chlamydia trachomatis infections. Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs. 3: 980-986, 2002.

List of Publications via PubMed (NIH National Library of Medicine)